Mechanics working in repair shops for automobiles often need to disconnect body parts from the vehicle chassis in order to repair the released damaged body part and then to install this part. Handling in a safe way of the car released body part is usually a problem, in that, since these body parts may weight a hundred pounds or more, some sort of tool is needed to assist the mechanic in physically handling the car part. Moreover, during the process of release and reinstallation of the car part from the car chassis, it is critical not to damage the hinge mount or other securing means that secure the car part to the chassis. Indeed, accidental damage to the car part securing means can occur if no suitable weight support means for the released car part is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,103 issued in 1962 to Special Products corp is typical of these tools for securing an automobile part in view of release thereof from a car chassis. A U-shape support 48-52 is mounted to a central upright post 32, whereby actuation of a winch handle 60 will bias U-support lengthwisely of standard 32. A bridging bar 92 is swivelled at the top of standard 32. Bar 92 will engage the inner surface of the car door to be released, for orienting the door properly and for providing lateral stabilization--against tilting--of the central part of the door when supported spacedly over ground by U-support 48-52.
A disadvantage of such a prior art door supporting tool is that, as for most of the prior art car part loading tools, at least two men are required to remove or install the car part to the car chassis. Another corollary disadvantage of prior art tools is that the time required to install or remove the car part with these tools takes on average half an hour with two men. The time and labour resource allocation is deemed inefficient.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,409 issued in 1974 to Davis and Jones, shows an improvement in which each of the laterally opposite, weight load support platform 22, 22 is vertically movable independently of one another via hydraulic means 10: upright cylinder 12 moving up and down axially of piston 18.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,308 issued in 1977 to Mathers shows an improvement in which a telescopic boom 20 pivotally carried at the top of the apparatus standard 18 is endwisely secured to the four edgewise sections of the hood part H via transverse hook members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,511 issued in 1980 to Marek discloses an improvement whereby the car part tilt controlling means consists of two laterally spaced arms 146, 148 each having an endwise suction cup 150. The suction cup 150 temporarily secures the upper portion of the car part 12 to the apparatus, when supported over ground by the support bars 54, 56.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,639 issued in June 1990 to the Canadian corporation TAC Manufacturing, inc., is relevant in that it discloses as a car part tilt control means, a belt 26 having an end clasp 28 to be secured to the top edgewise portion of the vehicle part to be removed, while the bottom edgewise portion thereof is supported by a channel member 62 at the end of two horizontal telescopic boom support members 56. The portion of car door 16 intermediate anchor points 28 and 62 transversely abuts against a vertical bar 88 adjacent the main upright standard 82 of the car part holding apparatus.